Lemon Chicken with Broccoli

Keeping kosher means that our grocery budget is a little higher than the average DINK couple (dual income no kids) because kosher meat tends to be really expensive. So when I found chicken cutlets on sale for $3.99 lb at the butcher, I stuffed our freezer full of them. Normally, boneless and skinless chicken breasts range from $5-$8 lb, depending on where you shop, so $3.99 is an absolute steal. In fact, I wish I had bought more!

I found this recipe hidden away in my Favorites file on my WW account, and I had forgotten I saved it months ago. It was pretty quick to throw together, although I had to add some cornstarch at the end in order to get the sauce to thicken. I just don't think the flour was enough on its own. The lemon flavor should be pretty pronounced, which I like, but silly me forgot to buy a lemon. I was convinced I had one leftover from my Perfect Party Cake, but someone must have used it during the party. Instead of lemon zest, I had to use my lemon extract because the juice itself wasn't strong enough. The extract gave it a good lemon taste, but not as fresh as zest. Next time!

Ingredients:
2 TBS all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp table salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
12 oz uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided (I used veggie broth)
2 tsp minced garlic
2 1/2 cups broccoli, small florets
2 tsp lemon zest, or more to taste
2 TBS parsley, fresh, chopped
1 TBS fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

On a plate, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper; add chicken and turn to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate.

Put 1 cup of broth and garlic in same skillet; bring to a boil over high heat, scrapping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Add broccoli; cover and cook 1 minute.

In a small cup, stir together remaining 1/2 cup of broth, 1/2 tablespoon of flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; add to skillet and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cover and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in chicken and lemon zest; heat through.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice; toss to coat. Yields about 1 cup per serving (3 points).